Iron
Angels
by Geoff Landis

from the reviews:"Cats,
the cosmos, and cantos are the elements connected in this wonderful
collection of poems by Geoff Landis. Romance and science are interwoven
in many of the pieces in an effortless and engaging manner, along with
stripes and flecks of pathos, humor, physics, space and astronomy. The
poems strike a chord of the familiar in the reader, even a reader who
may not be expert in matters of science. It is the connection to
humanity - feelings, stories, and images that make the poems so
appealing...."

[Geoff Landis] "brings to
bear his
formidable scientific knowledge and poetic skills in his thoroughly
entertaining and accessible debut poetry collection Iron Angels.
The book shines through with Landis's uncanny wit, acute
intelligence, and passion for the stars.... Within its pages you will
find lavishly penned works as well as eloquently minimalistic ones that
employ a wide array of poetic forms. All have the power to
invoke a sense of awe and contemplation as they parade the mind's eye
with fantastic visions of galactic majesty.""Throughout
this collection you will discover all variety of effectively emotive
poems that are at times profound, insightful, melancholy, poignant, and
on the whole deeply human. Additionally, you'll find several
works that refuse to take themselves at all seriously-- including a few
of unabashed silliness, such as the charmingly whimsical rhyming verse
'If Angels Ate Apples,' and the lyrical spoof of a very familiar Janis
Joplin ditty entitled 'SSTO.'""Yet
there is more to Iron
Angels than
science fiction, astronomy, and cats. All the poems here
range
the entire spectrum of human emotions and several are quite
down-to-earth... On the whole, Iron Angels
is a fresh and fun collection of mind-expanding poems that are clear
and comfortable to read-- a true dazzler that is well worth picking up."

"Landis' background,
intelligence and sense of humor are very evident in this collection.
And while much of his poetry is profound, it always remains both
accessible and engaging. These are poems for everyone, not just fans of
science and science fiction.
"... All in all, an excellent collection and valuable addition to
anyone's bookshelf."

"This
collection certainly shows his range. I admire poets who are
willing to be playful sometimes, silly sometimes, thoughtful sometimes,
and deadly serious sometimes. All those modes are on display."

"Rich
in wit, imagination, craft and
visions, the poems in Iron Angels are sure to resonate with both
readers of poetry and those of science fiction. They certainly did for
this reader. A remarkable collection with more than a few memorable
entries."

--Bruce
Boston,

Bram
Stoker Award author
of The Guardener's Tale.

"Geoff
Landis is one of the smartest people I know, and one of the best
writers. I am thrilled that he finally is getting a
collection of
poetry published, that audiences can wonder along with me, Who the hell thinks like that?"

1. The cat has unexplained powers of hypnosis. And
occasionally teleports when nobody is watching.
2. When you come home, the stereo is tuned to the dead space between
stations. Even though you're sure that it was tuned to Easy
Listening when you last played it.
3. The cat sits on your lap, and there's a bright light, and the next
thing you know it's three days later, and you can't account for the
past 72 hours.
4. You get mysterious phone calls asking for names you never heard
of. The voice sounds like Elvis.
5. Your cat is interested in your old college chemistry text, and
absorbs its content by sitting on it. Every few minutes the
cat carefully turns to a new page.
6. Things in your house mysteriously disappear. Aluminum
foil. Coat hangers. Household bleach. The
magnetron tube from your microwave oven.
7. The cat sometimes seems to be trying to speak English, particularly
simple words: "wow," "me," "now," "yow," "out!" and
"isotopically-purified plutonium-237 trioxide."
8. The cat has taken an exceptional interest in the satellite
television dish. You think that this might be normal for
cats, but your cat has rewired it, and aimed it at the Andromeda galaxy.
9. The neighbors complain about bright lights hovering over your house
at night.
10. All cats are aliens. Why should yours be different?